Tesla Motors, the high-performance electric car company headed by PayPal co-founder Elon Musk, has won another legal skirmish in its quest to sell cars directly to consumers. On Monday, Massachusetts’ top court ruled that car dealers in the state had no right to sue Tesla (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TSLA]]) for its direct-sales model, which cuts out any … Continue reading “Court: Dealers Can’t Stop Tesla From Selling Direct to MA Consumers”
Category: National
Can nRelate Cut Down the Noise in Web Content Recommendations?
“Click bait” runs rampant on some Web pages these days, much the way ads cover paper placemats at some diners. In the margins of many media sites, it is common to find suggested stories and promoted links that have nothing to do with the material that originally brought the reader there. The (over)use of eye-catching … Continue reading “Can nRelate Cut Down the Noise in Web Content Recommendations?”
MI Roundup: Plymouth Ventures, FarmLogs, Start Garden
Here’s a look at news from around Michigan’s innovation hubs: —Things are going gangbusters for the Ann Arbor-based ag-tech startup FarmLogs. Founder and CEO Jesse Vollmar says his company, which has developed software that helps farmers track and leverag precise agricultural data, is now being used by 15 percent of U.S. farms. That number represents … Continue reading “MI Roundup: Plymouth Ventures, FarmLogs, Start Garden”
LeadingReach Aims to Close Healthcare’s “Weakest Link,” Referrals
Innovation in healthcare can come from the unlikeliest of places. That seems to be the case at LeadingReach, an Austin, TX-based medtech firm: The startup was founded out of a marketing agency. LeadingReach wants to shore up what it calls the weakest link in healthcare delivery: the referral. The six-month-old startup sells Web-based software to … Continue reading “LeadingReach Aims to Close Healthcare’s “Weakest Link,” Referrals”
East Coast Biotech Roundup: Maraganore, Flex, NPS, Retrophin, & More
It’s back to work, back to school, and back to the grind in biotech. One local company inched towards a potential FDA approval, yet its stock is down more than 10 percent. Another biotech came under fire for a big price hike on an old drug. And a new startup emerged with the backing of … Continue reading “East Coast Biotech Roundup: Maraganore, Flex, NPS, Retrophin, & More”
Raleigh-Durham Roundup: Liquidia, TrueBridge, Citrix, & More
Here are this week’s headlines in North Carolina tech and biotech news. —Nanotechnology company Liquidia Technologies spun out a second company and at the same time, announced a $10 million Series A round of financing for the new company. Lq3 Pharmaceuticals will focus on oral health, though the new Research Triangle Park, NC, company did … Continue reading “Raleigh-Durham Roundup: Liquidia, TrueBridge, Citrix, & More”
The Rhythm of Management: What Jazz Can Teach Startup Executives
“Jazz stands for freedom. It’s supposed to be the voice of freedom: Get out there and improvise, and take chances, and don’t be a perfectionist – leave that to the classical musicians.” — Jazz great Dave Brubeck Playing in a jazz ensemble and leading a business are very, very similar. And my experiences both as … Continue reading “The Rhythm of Management: What Jazz Can Teach Startup Executives”
Scholar Rock’s Local Approach to Immune Disease Nabs $20M
With a pharma partnership already in hand and big biotech names on board, the Cambridge, MA-based startup Scholar Rock today announced a $20 million Series A round of funding. With the cash, the company will continue its pursuit of antibody therapies that exploit a relatively new biological understanding of the way crucial proteins called growth … Continue reading “Scholar Rock’s Local Approach to Immune Disease Nabs $20M”
OLED Startup Kateeva Hauls in Samsung as Investor
OLED displays have a lot to offer: screens can be flexible and thin, produce great images, and consume little power. But the high cost of producing them for large-format TVs has kept the technology out of the mainstream. Menlo Park, CA-based Kateeva thinks its technology can bring the price down—and it’s got a new round … Continue reading “OLED Startup Kateeva Hauls in Samsung as Investor”
IPhones, Payments, Watches, & More on WGBH’s Boston Public Radio
Greg Huang and I stopped by the WGBH studios this week to talk technology business news on Boston Public Radio. And this week, of course, it’s all Apple—the new iPhones, the company’s hoped-for mobile payments system, smartwatch, and data security. It was a lot of fun talking with hosts Margery Eagan and Jim Braude, who I think have pretty level heads about … Continue reading “IPhones, Payments, Watches, & More on WGBH’s Boston Public Radio”
Boston Tech Roundup: FlightCar, ReWalk, Skyword, Visible Measures
A few interesting fundraising deals to catch up with this week—one of them involving a West Coast relocation—along with reports of layoffs at a well-funded tech startup in town: —FlightCar, a startup that lets everyday drivers rent their cars to other people while they’re away traveling, has raised a Series A investment round of $13.5 … Continue reading “Boston Tech Roundup: FlightCar, ReWalk, Skyword, Visible Measures”
Colorado Tech Roundup: Ball’s Space Lasers, Zayo to Wire the NBA
Here is a quick roundup of recent news from Colorado startups and tech companies, including news about Ball Aerospace’s new laser-communications satellites, Zayo’s deal to wire the NBA, and the upcoming Apex Awards. Space lasers: Ball Aerospace & Technologies announced this week it will be building a constellation of communications satellites that will use lasers … Continue reading “Colorado Tech Roundup: Ball’s Space Lasers, Zayo to Wire the NBA”
Innovation Hub: Why Tech’s Women Problem Is Bigger Than You Think
You’ve seen the numbers. And they’re not good. At Apple, Twitter, Google, and Facebook, women are vastly outnumbered by men. When it comes to technical positions like coders, men occupy 80 to 90 percent of the positions. Which isn’t a great sign if these represent the jobs—and skill sets—of the future. The startup scene is … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Why Tech’s Women Problem Is Bigger Than You Think”
URC Water Tour Highlights Michigan’s Blue Economy Opportunities
Forget about oil or gold. In a few decades, clean, fresh water might be the most valuable commodity in the world, and Michigan is preparing now to stake its claim on the coming bounty. The Great Lakes surrounding Michigan hold 18 percent of the world’s fresh water and 90 percent of the nation’s surface freshwater. … Continue reading “URC Water Tour Highlights Michigan’s Blue Economy Opportunities”
TX Roundup: New funding for FieldAware, Sandlot Solutions, & Oyokey
Here is the latest innovation news from around Texas. —Tom Goodman, product development officer for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, was in Houston Wednesday speaking to a meeting of the Society of Physician Entrepreneurs. Goodman, who took his position at CPRIT the past March, gave the group a general overview the grant … Continue reading “TX Roundup: New funding for FieldAware, Sandlot Solutions, & Oyokey”
Filip’s Wearable Phone for Kids Gets New Design, New VP of Engineering
Filip Technologies unveiled an updated design this week for the second generation of its wearable communicator and locator for kids—a revamp intended to make the device harder to slip off. The company, founded in Norway in 2009 and headquartered in New York, developed the FiLIP wristwatch-style device that lets kids keep in touch with their … Continue reading “Filip’s Wearable Phone for Kids Gets New Design, New VP of Engineering”
West Coast Biotech Roundup: Gates, Orexigen, Medivation & More
The West Coast news of the past seven days was dominated by approvals. The FDA was responsible for two of them. In San Diego, Orexigen Therapeutics traveled a long, long road with its weight-loss drug Contrave, and finally saw the FDA’s green light. But apparently investors didn’t approve; they threw the company’s stock price into … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Gates, Orexigen, Medivation & More”
UW President Young Talks Commercialization, Startups, Criticism
University of Washington President Michael Young, beginning his fourth year as leader of one of the foremost public research universities in the country, talked with Xconomy about university startups, technology licensing, and other ways the university can transfer knowledge into society. The interview, conducted in August in Young’s Gerberding Hall office, informed Xconomy’s broader look … Continue reading “UW President Young Talks Commercialization, Startups, Criticism”
How to Attract Smart People, Smart Ideas, and Smart Money
North Carolina entrepreneurs are attracting attention all over the nation—and all over the world—across the tech, life science, and advanced materials sectors. The proof is in the numbers. Last year, more than 220 entrepreneurial companies in North Carolina raised nearly half a billion dollars through equity investments, grants, and awards from 108 unique funders, according … Continue reading “How to Attract Smart People, Smart Ideas, and Smart Money”
UW’s Blank on Tech Transfer, Bridging the Milwaukee-Madison Divide
For decades, it has felt like Milwaukee and Madison are separated by much more than 80 miles of highway and fields. The divide between Wisconsin’s two biggest cities—economically, culturally, and psychologically—has at times felt impossible to bridge. It’s a dynamic that’s not unique to Wisconsin (the relationship between Colorado’s Denver and Boulder comes to mind): … Continue reading “UW’s Blank on Tech Transfer, Bridging the Milwaukee-Madison Divide”
At U-M, 40 Years Of Gaucher Research Rewarded With FDA Approval
On August 19, the FDA approved eliglustat (Cerdelga) for the rare genetic disorder Gaucher disease. Marketed by the Genzyme division of Sanofi (NYSE: [[ticker:SNY]]), it’s a pill, which gives at least some of the 10,000 Gaucher patients worldwide an alternative to the intravenous infusions currently on the market. But it also represents something else: the … Continue reading “At U-M, 40 Years Of Gaucher Research Rewarded With FDA Approval”
Boston Security Firms CyberArk, Veracode Make Deals as Threats Mount
Been hacked lately? Sure you have. But a couple of longstanding local tech companies have been combating cyber threats for years, and now they’re making noise on the financial front. One of them, CyberArk Software, has been preparing to go public since about 2011 and has just set its IPO terms. The Israel-founded company, whose … Continue reading “Boston Security Firms CyberArk, Veracode Make Deals as Threats Mount”
Hear Epizyme, Sage, Zafgen Share Their Stories on Oct. 8
Like many biotechs with a big idea showing early potential, Cambridge, MA-based Epizyme (NASDAQ: [[ticker:EPZM]]) faced a critical decision a few years ago: groom itself for a sale to Big Pharma or, on the other hand, an IPO. It was a tough call for Epizyme, because the IPO market for biotechs was in the dumps … Continue reading “Hear Epizyme, Sage, Zafgen Share Their Stories on Oct. 8”
Cleantech Startups Seek to Scrub Dirty Industries, Not Kill Them Off
Startup Liquid Light’s technique of turning waste CO2 into chemicals is intriguing to anyone who cares about reducing greenhouse gases. But when it comes to selling the technology to potential customers, lowering emissions is mostly just an afterthought. The Monmouth, NJ-based company on Thursday said it raised $15 million in a Series B round from … Continue reading “Cleantech Startups Seek to Scrub Dirty Industries, Not Kill Them Off”
A Chat With Sanjiv Sidhu of Business Management Software Maker o9
Big data, meet artificial intelligence. At least, that’s the idea put forth by Sanjiv Sidhu, founder and CEO of o9 Solutions, a Dallas-based software company. O9 makes software that it says helps executives better sort through the noise of big data and then helps them interpret it in order to determine next steps for the … Continue reading “A Chat With Sanjiv Sidhu of Business Management Software Maker o9”
Startups, Jobs, Economic Impact: An Analysis of Commercialization at UW
Ever since a landmark law passed in 1980, universities have been able to reap financial rewards from federally funded technologies they develop by patenting them and selling licenses to companies large and small. Some universities have hit pay dirt, such as the University of Wisconsin with its anti-clotting drug warfarin and the University of Florida … Continue reading “Startups, Jobs, Economic Impact: An Analysis of Commercialization at UW”
After Prolonged Review, FDA Approves Orexigen’s Weight-Loss Drug
The FDA today approved a new weight-loss drug for people who are obese or overweight with at least one weight-related health condition, easing a burden that San Diego’s Orexigen Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OREX]]) has been carrying for a long time. Orexigen experienced several setbacks while advancing the drug, an extended release formulation of two previously approved … Continue reading “After Prolonged Review, FDA Approves Orexigen’s Weight-Loss Drug”
The Knowledge Worker’s Next Must-Have Gadget: A Telepresence Robot
If robotics startups get it right, the next piece of hardware you expense to your company may be a telepresence robot, a pedestal-shaped machine that will let you scoot around a remote office to check in on colleagues. Robots are already used in factories, warehouses, and to vacuum people’s floors, but they have yet to … Continue reading “The Knowledge Worker’s Next Must-Have Gadget: A Telepresence Robot”
Mayor de Blasio Announces Chief Tech Officer for New York at NYTM
In his first appearance at the New York Tech Meetup, freshman New York Mayor Bill de Blasio made a statement about the role technology will have in his administration. “Clearly what’s happening here is an example of where this city is going,” he said. “It’s powerful to see the creativity and understand what it’s going … Continue reading “Mayor de Blasio Announces Chief Tech Officer for New York at NYTM”
Pappas, Chiesi Venture Fund Joins Ranks of Pharma & VC Partnerships
Art Pappas has overseen his own firm’s venture capital investments for 20 years. Now the veteran life sciences investor is adding on a new role, scoping out investment opportunities for a pharmaceutical company’s new venture fund. Italian pharma Chiesi Group’s recently-launched Chiesi Ventures will focus on investing in companies developing treatments for rare and orphan … Continue reading “Pappas, Chiesi Venture Fund Joins Ranks of Pharma & VC Partnerships”
Avelas Closes Round, Advancing Biologic That Illuminates Breast Cancer
San Diego’s Avelas Biosciences, which is developing a fluorescing peptide to illuminate cancerous tissue during breast surgery, says today it has closed the second tranche of its Series B round, bringing total funds raised in the round to $7.4 million. Avelas says the capital will be used to move toward a first-in-human study in breast … Continue reading “Avelas Closes Round, Advancing Biologic That Illuminates Breast Cancer”
An Intriguing Program Takes on Tropical Diseases—But Not Ebola
[Updated and corrected 9/10/14, 10:05 am. See below.] On August 28, Anthony Fauci, the U.S. National Institutes of Health’s top infectious disease specialist, announced a major trial in concert with GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: [[ticker:GSK]]) to test new Ebola vaccines in humans. Fauci called it an “all-hands-on-deck response” to the growing global health emergency in which more … Continue reading “An Intriguing Program Takes on Tropical Diseases—But Not Ebola”
OnKol Wants to Help Grandma Join the Internet of Things Movement
As investors and corporations pour millions of dollars into connected-home devices, tech companies have no shortage of ideas—from smart thermostats and home security systems to data-collecting toothbrushes and a refrigerator that sends alerts when the milk is almost out. But while most of these “Internet of things” products are aimed at young tech-savvy adults or … Continue reading “OnKol Wants to Help Grandma Join the Internet of Things Movement”
Xconomy Q&A: Intellectual Ventures Co-founder and CTO Edward Jung
Edward Jung, co-founder and chief technology officer, of Intellectual Ventures, has been out talking about how his company—which was recently described as among Silicon Valley’s most hated—is playing a long game to attack the big problems confronting the world today. On the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia in Seattle last week, Jung sat … Continue reading “Xconomy Q&A: Intellectual Ventures Co-founder and CTO Edward Jung”
RunKeeper Sees Apple Health Moves as “Both Scary and Exciting”
If you’re an independent mobile developer, big Apple product announcements are more than just a passing curiosity—entire companies can be dramatically boosted or quickly crippled by the huge company’s decisions. One of those watching the developments closely was Jason Jacobs, the CEO of fitness-tracking startup RunKeeper. And he had plenty to digest. Jacobs’ Boston-based company, … Continue reading “RunKeeper Sees Apple Health Moves as “Both Scary and Exciting””
After Restructuring, SGB Raises $11M for Jatropha Commercialization
San Diego-based SGB, the agricultural biotech previously known as SG Biofuels, says today it has raised $11 million in a Series C round of financing that will be used to drive its revised commercialization strategy. Existing investors, including Thomas, McNerney & Partners, Finistere Ventures, and Flint Hills Resources (a refining subsidiary of Koch Industries) participated … Continue reading “After Restructuring, SGB Raises $11M for Jatropha Commercialization”
MI Roundup: Compuware, U-M, Start Garden, Ann Arbor SPARK
[Corrected, 9/10/14. See below] Here’s a look at news from around Michigan’s innovation hubs: —On the heels of last week’s announcement that Compuware had been purchased by Thoma Brava, a private equity firm, comes this news: Compuware APM will now operate under the name Dynatrace. John Van Siclen will continue to lead the business. —The … Continue reading “MI Roundup: Compuware, U-M, Start Garden, Ann Arbor SPARK”
Tech, Networking, and Beer: A Quick Guide for Denver Startup Week
Denver Startup Week is back, and organizers promise it will be bigger and better than ever. The annual event, now in its third year, is a chance for Denver’s tech companies and entrepreneurs to connect, learn, build a community, and party while drinking lots and lots of Colorado-brewed craft beer. Denver Startup Week starts Monday … Continue reading “Tech, Networking, and Beer: A Quick Guide for Denver Startup Week”
Ex-Googlers Get Seed Funding, Launch Cord App to Make Gadgets Chatty
Sure, smartphones let people make calls, but text messages often dominate communication these days. A duo who previously worked at Google Creative Lab in New York developed an app they believe will inject voice back into the conversation. Brooklyn-based Cord Project released its Cord app last week for iOS devices, which lets people quickly record … Continue reading “Ex-Googlers Get Seed Funding, Launch Cord App to Make Gadgets Chatty”
As New iPhone Looms, Mobile Payments “Not for the Faint of Heart”
Heard of the iPhone 6 yet? One of the rumored features is near field communication technology that will enable, among other things, users to pay for items in stores with their smartphones. It could be a watershed moment for the adoption of mobile payments technology, a crowded yet slow-moving sector. Every year since about 2010, … Continue reading “As New iPhone Looms, Mobile Payments “Not for the Faint of Heart””
Cempra Milestone Highlights Experimental Antibiotic’s Potential
Cempra Pharmaceuticals’ (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CEMP]]) efforts to bring patients a next-generation antibiotic that could help address drug-resistant bacteria now has a boost from Japan. The Chapel Hill, NC, company last year licensed Japanese development and commercialization rights for its solithromycin to Toyama Chemical Co. in a deal that could pay up to $60 million in milestones. … Continue reading “Cempra Milestone Highlights Experimental Antibiotic’s Potential”
Wisconsin Roundup: VictorySpark, Imbed, Virent, Cellectar, & More
There was a flurry of funding deals and new partnerships announced by Wisconsin startups and tech groups over the past week. Here’s a recap: —Madison-based Imbed Biosciences has raised about $683,000 from investors in a debt and equity funding round that could eclipse $1 million when closed, according to an SEC filing. The funding is … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: VictorySpark, Imbed, Virent, Cellectar, & More”
To Fight Cramps, Christoph Westphal Taps Boston All-Stars for $40M
Serial biotech executive Christoph Westphal looks to have found his latest target: muscle cramps. Westphal, perhaps best known as the one-time CEO of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, is now chairman and CEO of a new startup called Flex Pharma. He’s gone through the rolodex to put together $40 million in private financing from a diverse list of … Continue reading “To Fight Cramps, Christoph Westphal Taps Boston All-Stars for $40M”
FDA OKs Astute Medical’s First Diagnostic for Acute Kidney Injury
San Diego-based Astute Medical, founded in 2007 to identify and validate protein biomarkers that can be used to improve the diagnosis of high-risk medical conditions, says the FDA has cleared its new test for detecting acute kidney injury (AKI). In a statement Friday, the FDA said the first-of-a-kind lab test can help determine if certain … Continue reading “FDA OKs Astute Medical’s First Diagnostic for Acute Kidney Injury”
MC Hammer Offers Tips to “Innovate the Hood” at Detroit Event
Detroit Pistons fans of a certain age will always have a place for MC Hammer in their hearts, since his song “U Can’t Touch This” will forever be associated with the triumphant Bad Boys era of the early 1990s. But not many of us, perhaps, have kept up with Hammer’s career since then. It turns … Continue reading “MC Hammer Offers Tips to “Innovate the Hood” at Detroit Event”
Texas Startup Communities Expanding, Accelerating Into a Whole
The state of Startup Texas is in a fever of activity. In the last week and through mid-September, half a dozen accelerators have either announced new classes of entrepreneurs or are hosting their pitch days as the newly fledged startups seek funding and customers. Half of the programs did not exist just a year ago. … Continue reading “Texas Startup Communities Expanding, Accelerating Into a Whole”
GlassPoint Pulls in $53M from Oman to Pump Oil With Solar Power
It’s not often that a solar energy startup makes its name in the fossil fuel industry, but that’s exactly where Fremont, CA-based GlassPoint wants to be. The company today said it has raised $53 million in an equity investment from a sovereign wealth fund run by Oman as well as Shell and existing investors. The … Continue reading “GlassPoint Pulls in $53M from Oman to Pump Oil With Solar Power”
Packard Place Serves as Hub for Charlotte’s Emerging Startup Scene
When people think of startup culture in North Carolina, what usually comes to mind is the Research Triangle of Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill and all of the activity surrounding the technology spun out of nearby universities. But there’s also an emerging startup scene taking root in Charlotte, the most populous city in the state and the headquarters … Continue reading “Packard Place Serves as Hub for Charlotte’s Emerging Startup Scene”
Wellframe Wins $8.5M to Improve Healthcare Apps for Patients, Doctors
Healthcare is getting more personal—as well it should. Anyone who has dealt with a serious illness knows you have to take the initiative when it comes to your own health, and that of your family. Especially these days. Technology is playing a big role in that. So it’s no surprise that a new generation of … Continue reading “Wellframe Wins $8.5M to Improve Healthcare Apps for Patients, Doctors”
Y Combinator Alum Lob Raises $7M to Expand APIs for Print Marketing
A lot of the fun in our current Internet era comes from the ability to manipulate the “real” world with digital tools—arranging a ride, ordering some food, or changing the temperature in your house when nobody’s home. Lob, a San Francisco-based startup, is hoping to add an international network of print shops to that list. … Continue reading “Y Combinator Alum Lob Raises $7M to Expand APIs for Print Marketing”